Industrial Hygiene Programs Environmental Health and Safety

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Industrial Hygiene Programs

Environmental Health and Safety

Personal Protective Equipment 

• Introduction
• Eye & Face Protection
• Head Protection
• Hand Protection
• Foot Protection
• Body Protection
• Course Test

Introduction

• Occupational Health & Safety Administration established 29 CFR 1910.132-138 the Personal Protective Equipment Standard
• CalOSHA Title 8 § 3380-3385
• Briefly stated, this standard requires that employers must provide at no cost to their employees PPE when such equipment is necessary to protect employees from job related injuries, illnesses and fatalities

Payment for PPE 

When PPE is required to protect employees, it must be provided by the employer at no cost to employees, except for specific items, such as:

• Safety-toe footwear
• Prescription safety eyewear
• Everyday clothing and weather-related gear
• Logging boots

Protecting Employees from Workplace Hazards 

• Employers must protect employees from workplace hazards and dangerous work procedures that can cause injury, illness and fatalities.
• Employers must:
• Use all feasible engineering and work practice controls to eliminate and reduce hazards
• Then use appropriate PPE if these controls do not eliminate hazards
• Remember: PPE is the last control

Employer Responsibilities  

Assessment
Employers are required to conduct an assessment to determine the various physical hazards that may be present in your work area
Physical hazards include:

• Sources of motion
• Sources of high and low temperatures
• Sources of light radiation 
• welding
• brazing
• heat treating 
• high intensity lights
• Sources of falling objects
• Sources of sharp objects
• Sources of rolling or pinching objects
• Sources of electric hazards
• Sources of slip, trips, and falls
• Sources of harmful dusts

Employer Responsibilities 

Assessment
As part of the assessment, employers must also determine the various health hazards that may be present in your work area
Health hazards include:

• Types of chemicals hazards
• Sources of biological hazards
• Sources of nuclear radiation

Employer Responsibilities  

Selection and Provision of PPE

• Once your area has been assessed, your employer must select, with your help, appropriate personal protection equipment for you to use while performing your job
• Once your area has been assessed, your employer must provide, at no cost to you, appropriate personal protection equipment that fits, for you to use while performing your job
• NOTE: If you have your own personal protective equipment, it must be approved by your employer before you can use it on the job. Check with your supervisor or safety manager before using your own equipment
• In addition to providing you with PPE, your employer must maintain the PPE used by employees. If a piece of PPE cannot be repaired, it must be discarded and replaced.
• Your employer must  maintain records of the workplace assessment and of your training

Employee Responsibilities 

• You are responsible for attending all PPE training sessions
• You are responsible for wearing your assigned PPE
• Follow ALL Warnings and Precautions
• Take time to read any and all warnings and precautions that may appear on tools, equipment, chemicals, MSDSs, and personal protective equipment
• Listen and Follow Directions
• Listen and follow the directions that you may be given by your supervisor or safety manager. They want you to return home today, and everyday, safe and sound to your family and friends
• Report
• Report any and ALL unsafe conditions you may find in your work area to your supervisor or safety manager.
• REMEMBER: Safety is a team effort!

Is This An Appropriate
Hard Hat?

Is This An Appropriate
Respirator?

Is This an Appropriate
Welder’s Mask?

Is This an Appropriate
Scaffolding?

Training

Employees required to use PPE must be trained to know at least the following

• When PPE is necessary
• What type of PPE is necessary
• How to properly put on, take off, adjust, and wear
• Limitations of the PPE
• Proper care, maintenance, useful life and disposal

Eye and Face Protection 

Why Eye and Face Protection is Important

      Thousands of people are blinded each year from work related eye injuries. Injuries that could have been prevented, if only people would have used eye or face protection.

Eye and Face Protection 

Types of eye/face hazards

• Impact
• Heat
• Chemicals
• Dust
• Light and/or Radiation

Eye and Face Protection 

Potential Incidences of Eye/Face Hazards
      Object Striking Eyes

• Dusts, Powders, Fumes, and Mists
• Small particles of matter can enter your eyes and damage them. Operations such as grinding, chiseling, sanding, hammering, and spraying can create small airborne particles

      Contact with Chemicals

• Toxic Gases, Vapors, and Liquids
• Toxic chemicals in the form of gases, vapors, and liquids can damage your eyes. Always read the appropriate MSDS before working with any hazardous material.
• Always check with your supervisor or safety manager to learn the type of eye or face protection you will need to use in order to work safely

Eye and Face Protection 

Potential Incidences of Eye/Face Hazards  
      Swinging Objects

• Large objects such as: 

            1. swinging chains, cables and ropes;
 2. tools that are thrown or fall;
Thermal and Radiation Hazards

• Operations such as welding, metal cutting, and working around furnaces can expose your eyes to heat, glare, ultraviolet, and infrared radiation

Eye and Face Protection 

Elimination or Control of Hazards

• Machine Guards
• Many types of machines such as lathes, grinders, and sanders are equipped with guards, shields and screens
• Work Area Barriers
• Operations such as sanding, grinding, welding, and lathe operations produce dust, vapors, and flying particles. To protect other workers, work area barriers such as movable screens and barriers should be set up to separate workers and bystanders from hazardous operations

Eye and Face Protection 

Elimination or Control of Hazards

• Ventilation
• Ventilation, along with damping systems, can significantly reduce the amount of airborne particles that could be hazardous to your eyes
• Lighting
• Good lighting reduces eye strain and glare

Eye and Face Protection 

Elimination or Control of Hazards

• Signs and Warnings
• Obstructions and protruding objects should be identified and marked
• Eyewash Stations
• Eyewash stations should be located within 100 feet of your work area. If you accidentally get something in your eyes, go directly to the eyewash station and flush your eyes with water for 15 minutes. Be sure to hold your eyes open with your fingers and "look" directly into the water streams.

Eye and Face Protection 

Elimination or Control of Hazards

• Safe Work Practices
• Read and follow all warnings and precautions that may be found on equipment and hazardous materials
• Do not throw tools or participate in horseplay
• Keep sharp or pointed objects away from your eyes
• Follow your supervisor's or safety manager's suggestions and recommendations for working safely

Eye and Face Protection 

Proper Fit and Use of PPE

• Must be right PPE for right job
• Ex. Safety glasses are not sufficient eye protection for working with chemicals
• Must stay on face during all work activities
• Ex. Should not slide off face or pinch side of head and create a headache

Eye and Face Protection 

                        Types of Eye and Face

                                       Personal Protective Equipment 

• Safety Glasses
• much stronger and more resistant to impact and heat than regular glasses
• equipped with side shields that give you protection from hazards that may not be directly in front of you
• Safety glasses should be Z-87 approved to meet OSHA regulations
• Should fit comfortable on face through all job tasks. Ensure that glasses are not too big or too tight
• Limitation
• Does not seal around eyes, could allow small droplets to come in contact with eyes

Eye and Face Protection 

      Regular glasses or sunglasses are not appropriate SAFETY GLASSES

Eye and Face Protection 

                        Types of Eye and Face

                   Personal Protective Equipment

• Goggles
• surround the eye area, they give you more protection in situations where you might encounter splashing liquids, fumes, vapors, powders, dusts, and mists
• must indicate that they are chemical splash goggles to be worn for that purpose
• Limitation
• Uncomfortable to wear with other head gear like helmet, ear muffs or respirator

Eye and Face Protection 

Types of Eye and Face                                        Personal Protective Equipment

• Face Shields
• full face protection
• used around operations which expose you to molten metal, chemical splashes, or flying particles
• Can be used simultaneously as a hard hat
• Limitations
• Are not considered eye protection, will need to wear goggles or glasses underneath
• Can fog up if working in poorly ventilated area

Eye and Face Protection 

• Face shield used by an employee working with molten metal
• The molten metal bubbled and burst onto the face shield of the employee
• The employee did not receive any injuries from the incident

Eye and Face Protection 

Types of Eye and Face
Personal Protective Equipment

• Welding Helmets
• provide both face and eye protection
• use special absorptive lenses that filter the intense light and radiant energy that is produced during welding operations
• Limitations
• Heavy and hot, fog up
• Must wear safety glasses or goggles underneath helmet

Eye and Face Protection 

Types of Eye and Face Personal Protective Equipment

• Absorptive Lenses
• additional protection if you must work where there is bright light or glare
• Limitations
• Must be used in conjunction with safety glasses or goggles

Eye and Face Protection 

Safety Tip

• Contact Lenses
• Wear your contacts with caution if you work in areas where you might be exposed to fumes, dusts, powders, vapors, chemical splashes, molten metals, or intense heat, light or glare
• Some chemicals can react with contacts and   cause permanent injury

Eye and Face Protection 

Care of Eye Protection Equipment

• Clean your eye protection equipment. You can usually use mild soap and water
• Never use abrasive soaps, rough paper, or cloth towels
• Keep PPE in good working condition
• If damaged, replace as soon as possible
• Store your eye protection equipment in a sanitary, cool, dry area away from moisture
• Read the manufacturer's directions and warnings before using any eye protection equipment
• If you have any questions concerning your eye protection equipment, talk with your supervisor or safety manager

Head Protection 

Why is Head Protection Important?

• In and around your head are: 
• Your eyes, with which you see
• Your ears, with which you hear
• Your nose, with which you smell
• Your mouth, with which you eat and speak
• Your brain, with which you think
• Injuries to the head are very serious. For this reason, head protection and safety are very important .

Head Protection 

Types of Head hazards

• Impact
• Electric shock
• Drips

Head Protection 

Potential Incidences of Head Hazards

• Impact
• Falling or flying objects
• falling or walking into hard objects
• injuries include neck sprains, concussions, and skull fractures
• Electric Shock
• Live exposed electric wires
• Injuries include electrical shocks and burns
• Drips
• Toxic liquids such as acids, caustics, and molten metals can irritate and burn the head/scalp.

Head Protection 

Elimination or Control of Hazards

• Safe Work Practices
• Grounded equipment/shock resistant tools
• Signs posted warning of hazards

Head Protection 

Types of Head PPE

• Hard hats
• A rigid shell that resists and deflects blows to the head
• A suspension system inside the hat that acts as a shock absorber
• Some hats serve as an insulator against electrical shocks
• Shields your scalp, face, neck, and shoulders against splashes, spills, and drips
• Some hard hats can be modified so you can add face shields, goggles, hoods, or hearing protection to them

Head Protection 

Types of Head PPE

• Class A Hard Hats
• Protect you from falling objects
• Protect you from electrical shocks up to 2,200 volts
• Class B Hard Hats
• Protect you from falling objects
• Protect you from electrical shocks up to 20,000 volts
• Class C Hard Hats
• Protect you from falling objects
• Bump Caps
• Bump caps are made from lightweight plastic and are designed to protect you from bumping your head on protruding objects

Head Protection 

• Modification of Hard Hat
• Drilled holes for venting relief
• Inserted pencil holder on hat for easy retrieval
• Hard hat from employee holding ladder
• Employee on ladder dropped screw driver
• Screw driver landed on hard hat and stuck in

Head Protection 

Hard hat test performed by Airforce

• The Airforce hard hats are different in shape but are rated the same for impact

Head Protection 

Proper use and care of hard hat

• Always wear your hard hat while you are working in areas where there are potential head hazards
• Adjust the suspension inside your hard hat so that the hat sits comfortably, but securely on your head
• Inspect the shell of your hard hat for cracks, gouges, and dents. Inspect the suspension system for frayed or broken straps. If your hard hat needs to be repaired, have it repaired   immediately or ask your employer for a new one
• Place plastic (non-metal) reflective tape on hat if working at night
• Never paint, scratch or drill "air holes" in your hard hat
• Never carry personal belongings such as cigarettes, lighters, or pens in your hard hat

Head Protection 

Care and Maintenance of Hard Hat

• Clean your hard hat at least once a month by soaking it in a solution of mild soap and hot water for 5-10 minutes
• Because sunlight and heat can damage the suspension of your hat, always store your hat in a clean, dry, and cool location

Hand Protection 

Why is Hand Protection Important?

• It has been estimated that almost 20% of all disabling accidents on the job involve the hands
• Without your fingers or hands, your ability to work would be greatly reduced

Hand Protection 

Types of Hand Hazards

• Traumatic Injuries
• Contact Injuries
• Repetitive Motion Injuries

Hand Protection 

Potential Incidences of Hand Hazards

• Traumatic Injuries
• Tools and machines with a sharp edges can cut your hands.
• Staples, screwdrivers, nails, chisels, and stiff wire can puncture your hands. 
• Getting your hands caught in machinery can sprain, crush, or remove your hands and fingers

Hand Protection 

Potential Incidences of Hand Hazards

• Contact Injuries
• Coming into contact with caustic or toxic chemicals, biological substances, electrical sources, or extremely cold or hot objects can irritate or burn your hands
• WARNING: Toxic substances are poisonous substances that can be absorbed through your skin and enter your body.
• Repetitive Motion Injuries
• Whenever you repeat the same hand movement over a long period of time, you run the risk of repetitive motion problems
• Repetitive motion problems often appear as a numbness or tingling sensation accompanied by pain and the loss of gripping power in your hands

Hand Protection 

Elimination or Control of Hazards

• Engineering Controls
• Machine guards
• Procedures
• Lock out/Tag out
• Housekeeping and Hygiene
• Poorly maintained machinery, tools, sloppy work areas, and cluttered aisles all contribute to hand injuries

Hand Protection 

Proper Fit and Use of PPE

• Select and use the right kind of glove for the job you are going to be performing
• Check fit, always use correct size
• Make sure chemical resistant to chemical being used
• Inspect your gloves before you use them
• Remove any rings, watches, or bracelets that might cut or tear your gloves
• Look for holes and cracks

      that might leak

• Replace gloves that are

      worn or torn

Hand Protection 

• Never wear gloves around powered

    rotating equipment - drills, lathes, etc

Hand Protection 

Types of Hand PPE

• Gloves
• Metal mesh gloves
• resist sharp edges and prevent cuts
• Leather gloves
• shield your hands from rough surfaces
• Vinyl and neoprene gloves
• protect your hands against toxic chemicals
• Rubber gloves
• protect you when working around electricity

Hand Protection 

Types of Hand PPE

• Gloves
• Padded cloth gloves
• protect your hands from sharp edges, slivers, dirt, and vibration
• Heat resistant gloves
• protect your hands from heat and flames
• Latex disposable gloves
• used to protect your hands from germs and bacteria
• Lead-lined gloves
• used to protect your hands from radiation sources

Hand Protection 

Types of Hand PPE

• Forearm Cuffs
• used to protect your forearm
• Thumb Guards and Finger Cots
• protect only your thumb or fingers
• Mittens
• protect your hands while working around very cold or hot materials
• Hand Pads
• Hand pads protect your hands while working around very hot materials

Foot Protection 

Why is Foot Protection Important?

• The human foot is rigid enough to support the weight of your entire body, and yet flexible enough to allow you to run, dance, play sports, and to take you anywhere you want to go. Without your feet and toes, your ability to work at your job would be greatly reduced.

Foot Protection 

Types of Foot Hazards

• Impact Injuries
• Injuries from Spills and Splashes
• Compression Injuries
• Electrical Shocks
• Extremes in Cold, Heat, and Moisture
• Slipping

Foot Protection 

Potential Incidences of Foot Hazards

• Impact Injuries
• At work, heavy objects can fall on your feet. If you work around sharp objects, you can step on something sharp and puncture your foot
• Injuries from Spills and Splashes
• Liquids such as acids, caustics, and molten metals can spill into your shoes and boots. These hazardous materials can cause chemical and heat burns

Foot Protection 

Potential Incidences of Foot Hazards

• Compression Injuries
• Heavy machinery, equipment, and other objects can roll over your feet. The result of these types of accidents is often broken or crushed bones
• Electrical Shocks
• Accidents involving electricity can cause severe shocks and burns

Foot Protection 

Potential Incidences of Foot Hazards

• Extremes in Cold, Heat, and Moisture
• If not protected, your feet can suffer from frostbite if you must work in an extremely cold environment. Extreme heat, on the other hand, can blister and burn your feet. Finally, extreme moisture in your shoes or boots can lead to fungal infections
• Slipping
• Oil, water, soaps, wax, and other chemicals can cause you to slip and fall

Foot Protection 

Elimination or Control of Hazards

• Housekeeping
• Poorly maintained machinery, tools, sloppy work areas, and cluttered aisles all contribute to foot injuries
• Signs
• Identify temporary slip/trip areas

Foot Protection 

Proper Fit and Use of PPE

• Select and use the right kind of footwear for the job you are going to be performing. Footwear should meet or exceed the standards set by ANSI (ANSI Z41-1991)
• Proper fit
• Correct protection for job task
• Inspect your footwear before you use them
• Look for holes and cracks that might leak
• Replace footwear that are worn or torn
• When working with chemicals
• hose your footwear with water to rinse away any chemicals or dirt before removing your footwear
• Store footwear in a clean, cool, dry, ventilated area

Foot Protection 

Types of Foot PPE

• Safety Shoes and Boots
• Steel toe footwear
• protects your toes from falling objects and from being crushed
• Metatarsal footwear
• special guards that run from your ankle to your toes and protect your entire foot
• Reinforced sole footwear
• metal reinforcement that protects your foot from punctures
• Latex/Rubber footwear
• resists chemicals and provides extra traction on slippery surfaces

Foot Protection 

Type of Foot PPE

• Safety Shoes and Boots
• PVC footwear
• protects your feet against moisture and improves traction
• Butyl footwear
• protects against most ketones, aldehydes, alcohols, acids, salts, and alkalies
• Vinyl footwear
• resists solvents, acids, alkalies, salts, water, grease, and blood
• Nitrile footwear
• resists animal fats, oils, and chemicals

Foot Protection 

Types of Foot PPE

• Safety Shoes and Boots
• Electrostatic dissipating footwear
• conducts static electricity to floors that are grounded
• Electrical hazard footwear
• insulated with tough rubber to prevent shocks and burns from electricity
• Disposable footwear
• includes shower slippers, clear polyethylene and non-woven booties used in dust free work areas

Foot Protection 

• Employee ran over foot with lawn mower
• Notice the damage to the shoe
• The steel toe insert is lying in the grass next to perfectly fine toes
• This employee received no injuries during this incident

Body Protection 

Why is Body Protection Important?

• The skin acts as a natural barrier to the elements
• Chemicals can break down the skin barrier and allow secondary infections to manifest

Body Protection 

Types of Body Hazards

• Temperature stress
• Chemical Contact
• Radiation

Body Protection 

Potential Incidences of Body Hazards

• Temperature stress
• Exposure to heat (hot metals) or cold (dry ice) which results in burns
• Chemical Contact
• Chemical splash
• Contact with potentially infectious materials
• Radiation

Body Protection 

Elimination or Control of Hazards

• Signage 
• Communication of hot/cold or radiation
• Physical Barriers
• Metal shielding or cement barrier
• Splash guards on chemical hoods
• Closed chemical systems

Body Protection 

Proper Fit and Use of PPE

• Select and use the right kind of body protection for the job you are going to be performing
• Make sure chemical resistant to what working with
• Inspect your aprons/body shields before you use them
• Store body protection in a clean, cool, dry, ventilated area

Body Protection 

Types of Body PPE

• Insulated Coats and Pants
• Fire resistant
• Heat resistant
• Cold resistant
• Sleeves and Aprons
• Work well when pouring or manipulating chemical to reduce splash
• Make sure the sleeves and aprons are appropriate for the chemical

Body Protection 

Types of Body Protection

• Coveralls
• Tyvek use for particulate filtering such as asbestos
• Chemical rated
• Full body suit
• Hazardous materials handling
• Carbon filtering for emergency response